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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cap — a hat
  4. object — a thing
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. object — to protest
  7. date — the fruit
  8. content — happy
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mug — to rob
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mug — a cup
  14. content — the amount
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. object — an aim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mug — a face
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cap — a lid
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. spring — of water
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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