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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · pit · rash · firm · kid · cabinet · row · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. kid — child
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. row — to paddle
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. firm — a company
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. firm — decided
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. kid — to tease
  19. row — a line
  20. firm — steady
  21. pit — a hole
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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