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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. toast — bread
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cap — a hat
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fall — the season
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. trunk — of a tree

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