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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rock — music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — to protest
  6. pitch — completely
  7. spring — of water
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. object — a thing
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. staff — employees
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. object — an aim
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rock — a stone

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