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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. spring — the season
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bulb — for light
  7. race — humankind
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spring — of water
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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