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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. pop — music
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pop — soda
  8. cap — a hat
  9. land — a country
  10. bear — the animal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. object — a thing
  13. land — to come down
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fall — to drop
  17. land — ground
  18. object — to protest
  19. face — to confront
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pop — to visit
  22. object — an aim
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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