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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. game — a match
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lean — thin
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bound — certain
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fall — to drop
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fall — the season
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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