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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. firm — a company
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. firm — decided
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. game — wild animals
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. firm — steady
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. game — a match
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cap — a lid
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cabinet — ministers

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