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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pound — a weight
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. last — to go on
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. present — the time now
  11. last — final
  12. cap — a lid
  13. can — to be able to
  14. present — there
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. last — finally
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. drill — army training
  21. present — a gift
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bay — a horse colour

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