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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cold — not warm
  7. spring — the season
  8. cap — a hat
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. lean — to bend
  12. spring — of water
  13. present — a gift
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. present — there
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cap — a lid
  23. lean — thin
  24. cold — an illness

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