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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bore — to tire
  4. key — for a lock
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. key — the most important part
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. key — in music
  20. land — ground
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bore — gave birth

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