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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: track · bay · rest · cap · ruler · snap · bark · charge

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bark — to shout
  8. track — a path
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. track — to keep track
  11. snap — to click
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. track — a song
  18. charge — a price
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ruler — for measuring

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