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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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. cap — a hat
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ground — a position
  6. bound — certain
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cap — a lid
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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