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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. kick — in football
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. tube — a container
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lie — to recline
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lean — thin
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lean — to rest against

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