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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fine — all right
  4. swing — music
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mug — to rob
  7. swing — in golf
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wound — an injury
  11. shower — rain
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mug — a face
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. fine — high quality
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mug — a cup
  23. swing — to play on
  24. shower — to wash

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