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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cell — a phone
  3. root — of a word
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wake — a trail
  10. can — a tin
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. drill — a practice
  17. can — to be able to
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. root — the cause
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. drill — army training

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