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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fall — the season
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fall — to drop
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. press — to push
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cap — a lid
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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