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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chair — a leader
  6. track — a path
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. spell — magic
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. net — after costs
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. present — the time now
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. present — there
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. track — a song
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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