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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — a weight
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. net — for catching
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bore — to drill
  18. net — after costs
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rash — a series
  21. net — in sport
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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