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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. face — to confront
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lie — to recline
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. kid — child
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. shower — rain
  19. kid — to tease
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wake — a trail
  22. jam — a tight spot
  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