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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 120 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 not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cap — a hat
  3. land — to come down
  4. season — in sport
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. dip — to sink
  16. season — of the year
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cap — of ice
  19. key — the most important part
  20. land — ground
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pound — a weight
  23. land — a country
  24. cap — a lid

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