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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rock — music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rest — a break
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cap — of ice
  8. spring — a coil
  9. can — a tin
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rock — a stone
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mate — a partner
  15. spring — the season
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mate — a friend
  18. can — a tin
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cap — a lid
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spring — of water
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cap — a hat

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