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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stem — to come from
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. drill — a practice
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. drill — army training
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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