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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: present · cap · snap · kid · bowl · stick · sharp · bay

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. present — the time now
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. present — there
  19. kid — child
  20. present — a gift
  21. sharp — clever
  22. snap — to click
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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