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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. charge — electricity
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. charge — a price
  14. capital — money
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. capital — a city
  19. cap — a hat
  20. charge — in control
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cap — a lid

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