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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mug — to rob
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mug — a face
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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