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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cap — of ice
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fall — the season
  9. chest — a box
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fine — high quality
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fine — all right
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chest — of your body
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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