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

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chair — to sit on

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