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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mug — a face
  3. kid — child
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. net — in sport
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. net — after costs
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bound — tied together
  22. net — for catching
  23. bound — certain
  24. mug — to rob

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