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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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. bay — a horse colour
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pit — a hole
  8. capital — a city
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pop — music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wind — moving air
  18. capital — money
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wind — moving air
  22. toast — bread
  23. pit — in a race
  24. capital — a big letter

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