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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. last — final
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. object — to protest
  8. season — of the year
  9. last — to go on
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. season — in sport
  13. object — an aim
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. object — a thing
  17. cap — of ice
  18. last — finally

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