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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. suit — to fit
  3. row — a line
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. drill — army training
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. drill — a practice
  9. row — to paddle
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cap — a lid
  13. land — ground
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cap — a hat
  17. suit — clothes
  18. land — to come down
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. suit — in cards
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. land — a country

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