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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. charge — in control
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. charge — a price
  15. drill — army training
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spell — letters
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cap — a lid

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