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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 · bay · wake · bear · ground · rest · mine

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ground — a position
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. present — the time now
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cap — of ice
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wake — before a funeral

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