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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wake — a trail
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. march — music
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. march — the month
  16. bass — low music
  17. band — a ring
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rule — government
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rule — a law

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