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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. present — there
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. present — a gift
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pitch — completely
  17. present — the time now
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. race — the arms race
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. race — a contest
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. race — humankind

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