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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pound — a weight
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. shower — rain
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bound — certain
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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