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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. can — a tin
  4. pop — music
  5. spell — letters
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. can — a tin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cap — a lid
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. spell — magic
  13. cap — of ice
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pop — to visit
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mine — for digging
  20. can — to be able to
  21. craft — boats
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pop — soda

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