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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. firm — steady
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cap — a lid
  15. firm — a company
  16. present — there
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. firm — decided
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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