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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cap — a hat
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. spell — magic
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bound — certain
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. land — ground
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spell — letters
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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