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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pop — to visit
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pop — music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — of the year
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mine — for digging
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pop — soda

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