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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rock — music
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pound — a weight
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. field — for sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. snap — to click
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — a stone
  23. field — a subject
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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