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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. can — a tin
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mine — for digging
  8. march — music
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. net — after costs
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. net — in sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. drill — army training
  15. kick — in football
  16. drill — the tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. press — to push
  19. net — for catching
  20. press — newspapers
  21. march — the month
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. march — the month
  24. press — a publisher

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