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

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lean — thin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bulb — for light
  11. snap — to click
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cap — of ice
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bulb — for light

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