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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — a hint
  5. charge — electricity
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cue — for pool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. row — a line
  12. spring — the season
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cap — a lid
  17. charge — a price
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. row — to paddle
  20. spring — a coil
  21. charge — in control
  22. spring — of water
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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