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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. tube — a container
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lean — thin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lean — to bend
  19. tube — the underground
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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