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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 120 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: last · pit · bay · bear · present · field · key · lash

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. key — in music
  6. last — final
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. field — for sport
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. field — a subject
  14. pit — a hole
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. present — a gift
  18. last — finally
  19. pit — in a race
  20. field — farmland
  21. last — to go on
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. present — the time now

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