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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. spell — letters
  3. band — a music group
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. band — a ring
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. spell — magic
  24. lash — to lash out

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