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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cap — a hat
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cap — a lid
  15. land — a country
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. land — to come down
  22. key — for a lock
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. land — ground

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