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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. chest — a box
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cap — a lid
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. can — to be able to

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