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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fine — high quality
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. band — a ring
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spell — magic
  20. fine — all right
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cap — a lid
  23. spell — letters
  24. band — a music group

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