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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. cap — a lid
  4. drill — the tool
  5. present — there
  6. drill — a practice
  7. squash — to crush
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cap — of ice
  11. present — the time now
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. craft — boats
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. toast — bread
  16. drill — army training
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rest — what's left
  22. dip — to sink
  23. present — a gift
  24. craft — a handicraft

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