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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 120 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ground — a position
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. last — to go on
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ground — the earth
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rest — what's left
  12. last — finally
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rest — a break
  21. last — final
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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