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

Word bank: pass · bay · cold · rock · cap · straw · net · object

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. net — after costs
  8. object — an aim
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rock — a stone
  12. net — for catching
  13. object — to protest
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. net — in sport
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. object — a thing
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cold — not warm
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rock — music

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