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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mug — a face
  7. race — a contest
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cap — a lid
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. wind — moving air
  17. court — for sport
  18. race — humankind
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cap — of ice
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bulb — for light

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