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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rest — a break
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pop — music
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. face — to confront
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pop — soda
  21. bound — certain
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rest — what's left

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