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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. staff — a stick
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lean — thin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. plane — a tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. staff — employees
  9. chip — for betting
  10. toast — bread
  11. lean — to bend
  12. kid — child
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. cap — a lid
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kid — to tease
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cap — of ice
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. chip — to eat
  23. staff — employees
  24. plane — in geometry

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