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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rash — hasty
  6. tube — a container
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rash — a series
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. dip — to sink
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. dip — a sauce

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