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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mark — a grade
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cap — a lid
  18. key — in music
  19. bark — to shout
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mark — a trace

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