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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. row — to paddle
  4. net — in sport
  5. season — in sport
  6. cap — of ice
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. row — a line
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. net — for catching
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lie — to recline
  17. net — after costs
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cap — a lid
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. season — of the year
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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