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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. net — for catching
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. land — to come down
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. land — ground
  12. fine — all right
  13. bulb — for light
  14. net — in sport
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bat — the animal
  22. land — a country
  23. net — after costs
  24. fine — high quality

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