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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rash — a series
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. charge — in control
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lie — to recline
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. charge — a price

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