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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. land — a country
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. land — to come down
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chair — a leader
  13. season — of the year
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. season — in sport
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. row — to paddle
  19. cap — of ice
  20. land — ground
  21. row — a line
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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