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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cap — of ice
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pass — a permit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cap — a hat
  10. squash — the sport
  11. suit — clothes
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. spell — a short time
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cap — a lid
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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