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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. march — the month
  5. race — humankind
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. race — a contest
  8. bulb — for light
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. staff — employees
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cap — a lid
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. last — final
  19. march — the month
  20. race — the arms race
  21. march — music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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