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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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. cap — of ice
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cap — a lid

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