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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: cap · ground · wind · bore · lean · bay · dip · scale

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lean — to bend
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. scale — in music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wind — moving air
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. lean — thin

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