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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — to be able to
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. can — a tin
  11. kick — in football
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. squash — the sport
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rest — a break
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com