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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cap — a lid
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spell — letters
  19. drill — army training
  20. cap — of ice
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cap — a hat
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. spell — magic

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