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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — size or range
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cap — a hat
  11. spring — the season
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cap — a lid
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. clip — for paper
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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