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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. kid — to tease
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kid — child
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. face — to confront
  11. court — for sport
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mate — a friend
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cap — a hat
  20. staff — employees
  21. face — part of the head
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — animal skin

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