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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mate — to breed
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. march — the month
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mate — a partner
  17. march — the month
  18. cap — a lid
  19. march — music
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. roll — on a roll

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