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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 124 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. current — electric
  3. drill — army training
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. current — happening now
  7. shower — to wash
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. shower — rain
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. squash — to crush
  22. drill — the tool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. current — of water

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