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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. face — to point toward
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a great time
  15. date — the fruit
  16. hand — in cards
  17. ball — a dance
  18. hand — help
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. face — to confront
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. face — part of the head

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