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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mug — to rob
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mug — a face
  9. rule — government
  10. spell — letters
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cap — a lid
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spell — magic
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rule — a law
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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