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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cap — a hat
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tube — the underground
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. tube — a container
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. key — in music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mug — a face
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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