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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rest — a break
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — a series
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. coach — a trainer

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