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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. track — to keep track
  4. squash — to crush
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. track — a song
  15. pit — in a race
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. track — a path
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. tube — a container
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cap — of ice

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