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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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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cap — a lid
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rule — government
  8. bulb — for light
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. track — a song
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rule — a law
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cap — of ice
  20. degree — an amount
  21. track — a path
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wind — to turn a key

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