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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. last — final
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. object — a thing
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. last — finally
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bound — certain
  14. bass — low music
  15. last — to go on
  16. object — an aim
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. object — to protest
  24. bat — in an idiom

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