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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. kick — in football
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. field — for sport
  11. mate — a partner
  12. dip — to sink
  13. field — a subject
  14. stem — to come from
  15. field — farmland
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. kick — with a leg

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