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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. staff — employees
  6. prune — to trim
  7. staff — a stick
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cap — a hat
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. capital — money
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cap — a lid
  15. saw — the tool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. staff — employees
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. saw — the tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. capital — a city

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