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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · cap · chair · bay · rush · band · leaves · rash

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — music
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rash — hasty
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rash — a series
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rock — to move gently

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