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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fine — all right
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. content — the amount
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bass — low music
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cap — a hat
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. content — happy

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