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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 124 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. file — a tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cap — of ice
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. file — a document
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. file — a line of people

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