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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. object — a thing
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. net — for catching
  10. hand — in cards
  11. net — after costs
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. net — in sport
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cap — of ice
  18. object — to protest
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cap — a hat
  22. object — an aim
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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