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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cap — of ice
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. toast — bread
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mate — to breed
  24. foot — a measure

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