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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. board — to get on
  12. spring — a coil
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pop — to visit
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. board — a committee
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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