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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cap — of ice
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. press — newspapers
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. game — wild animals
  8. spring — the season
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. spring — of water
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cap — a hat
  14. game — a match
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. press — to push
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. press — a publisher
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cap — a lid

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