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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mug — to rob
  3. present — the time now
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. present — a gift
  9. net — for catching
  10. cue — a signal
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cue — for pool
  13. suit — in cards
  14. net — in sport
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. present — there
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kick — in football
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. net — after costs

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