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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. prune — to trim
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. roll — a list
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cap — a hat
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. charge — a price
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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