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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cap — of ice
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. can — a tin
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chest — a box
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. scale — for weighing

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