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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cap — a hat
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. board — to get on
  8. race — a contest
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. race — the arms race
  16. tear — to rip
  17. foot — a measure
  18. race — humankind
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. toast — bread
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. board — a committee

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