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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. prune — to trim
  3. season — of the year
  4. cap — of ice
  5. drill — army training
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cap — a hat
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bark — to shout
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. drill — a practice
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. season — in sport
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lean — to rest against

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