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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 116 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mug — a cup
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — to bear
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mug — to rob
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mug — a face
  15. field — for sport
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. field — farmland
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. field — a subject
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bay — a horse colour

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