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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. present — there
  3. last — finally
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cap — a hat
  11. deal — to handle
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. last — to go on
  14. present — a gift
  15. foot — a measure
  16. present — the time now
  17. cap — a lid
  18. last — final
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pound — a weight
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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