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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mark — a trace
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. file — a tool
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wake — a trail
  8. file — a document
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mark — a grade
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cap — of ice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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