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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cap — a lid
  3. last — to go on
  4. field — for sport
  5. suit — in cards
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cap — of ice
  11. field — a subject
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. field — farmland
  14. last — finally
  15. cap — a hat
  16. can — a tin
  17. suit — to fit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — to be able to
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. last — final
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. straw — dry grass

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