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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cap — a hat
  5. face — to confront
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rule — government
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. drill — army training
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ground — a position
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — a tin
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rule — a law
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cap — a lid
  23. drill — the tool
  24. face — to point toward

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