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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rule — a law
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. can — a tin
  10. drill — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rule — government
  15. pit — in a race
  16. land — a country
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lie — to recline
  20. drill — army training
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. drill — a practice

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