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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kid — child
  4. field — a subject
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. object — a thing
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. field — for sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. field — farmland
  23. object — an aim
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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