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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fall — the season
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. toast — bread
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. cap — a hat
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cap — a lid

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