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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. last — final
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — to go on
  5. cap — of ice
  6. last — finally
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. shower — rain
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. prune — to trim
  22. staff — a stick
  23. lie — to recline
  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