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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cap — a hat
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. land — ground
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. land — to come down
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mug — to rob
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mug — a face
  20. rest — a break
  21. mug — a cup
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. land — a country
  24. stand — to bear

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