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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. club — for golf
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. club — for dancing
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. kick — in football
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. club — a group
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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