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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cold — not warm
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. mark — a grade
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. scale — in music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cold — an illness
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rush — hurry
  24. straw — a straw man

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