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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. scale — in music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cap — of ice
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cap — a hat
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cap — a lid
  24. arm — part of the body

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