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

Word bank: mine · deal · cabinet · bear · cold · lash · bay · lean

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cold — an illness
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cold — not warm
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lean — to bend
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bear — the animal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. lean — thin

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