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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. face — to point toward
  5. roll — a list
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cap — a hat
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cap — of ice
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mug — a face
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. face — to confront
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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