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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bear — the animal
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. season — in sport
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. squash — the sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. season — of the year
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bear — the animal

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