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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 116 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stock — shares
  4. key — the most important part
  5. kick — in football
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cap — a hat
  8. march — the month
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. key — in music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cap — a lid
  15. key — for a lock
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cap — of ice
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stock — goods
  22. face — to confront
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. march — music

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