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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cap — a lid
  6. spell — letters
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. present — the time now
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. spell — magic
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pit — in a race
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. present — a gift
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cap — a hat
  23. present — there
  24. bark — to shout

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