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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. field — for sport
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chip — to eat
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mate — a partner
  12. craft — boats
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mine — for digging
  18. field — farmland
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mate — a friend
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. field — a subject

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