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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cap — a lid
  5. file — a document
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — of ice
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cap — a hat
  12. file — a tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rush — hurry
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wind — to turn a key

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