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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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468
Word bank
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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pit — in a race
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. land — a country
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — in biology
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mug — a face
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mug — to rob
  19. file — a document
  20. cell — a phone
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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