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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. race — the arms race
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. race — a contest
  5. dip — to sink
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rest — a break
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rest — what's left
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rest — what's left
  17. row — a line
  18. cold — not warm
  19. prune — to trim
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. race — humankind
  23. cold — an illness
  24. row — a quarrel

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