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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. 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. bay — a horse colour
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. clip — a video
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mug — to rob
  24. 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