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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cap — a hat
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pit — in a race
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mug — a cup
  20. tear — to rip
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rash — a series
  23. mug — a face
  24. cap — a lid

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