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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. land — a country
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. snap — to click
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. land — ground
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. land — to come down
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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