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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. saw — the tool
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cap — a lid
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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