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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mug — a face
  4. cap — a lid
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. toast — bread
  9. kid — child
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mug — a cup
  12. spell — magic
  13. dip — to sink
  14. key — the most important part
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cap — of ice
  17. key — in music
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. mug — to rob
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spell — letters
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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