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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pop — music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mate — a friend
  15. spring — of water
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — the season
  18. stand — to bear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pop — soda
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mate — to breed

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