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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cap — of ice
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. present — the time now
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bound — tied together
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. bound — obliged
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bound — certain
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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