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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 116 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. kid — child
  4. fall — the season
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. season — of the year
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. key — in music
  13. season — in sport
  14. clip — a video
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fall — to drop
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. key — for a lock
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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