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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. last — final
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. can — a tin
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. race — the arms race
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. last — to go on
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. race — humankind
  18. last — finally
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rock — music
  21. face — to confront
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. rock — a stone

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