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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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. hand — part of the body
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hand — help
  12. lie — to recline
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. snap — to click
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. court — for sport

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