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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ground — crushed
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mate — a friend
  8. clip — a video
  9. object — a thing
  10. key — in music
  11. ground — the earth
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. ground — a position
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. key — for a lock
  22. roll — a cake
  23. clip — for paper
  24. sharp — clever

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