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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pass — a permit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ground — crushed
  10. row — a line
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ground — a position
  22. row — to paddle
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. row — a quarrel

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