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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · lean · bay · kick · present · rest

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lean — thin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kick — in football
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cap — of ice
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. present — a gift
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. present — there
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rest — a break
  17. present — the time now
  18. kick — a thrill

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