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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. spell — magic
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. spell — letters
  8. ground — crushed
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rock — a stone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ground — a position
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rock — music
  22. kick — in football
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. saw — the tool

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