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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.

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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: nail · leaves · bay · hide · pit · chair · foot · cap

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cap — a lid
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. leaves — to go away

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