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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pop — music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. object — a thing
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wound — an injury
  13. scale — in music
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. object — to protest
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pop — to visit
  23. object — an aim
  24. scale — size or range

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