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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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. cap — a lid
  4. bark — to shout
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. last — to go on
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. rush — hurry
  14. band — a music group
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. last — final
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. last — finally
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. band — a ring

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