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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 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pop — soda
  14. ball — a dance
  15. charge — in control
  16. pop — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ball — a great time
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. charge — a price
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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