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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. root — of a word
  4. lean — to bend
  5. row — to paddle
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pit — in a race
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. root — the cause
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. root — of a plant
  13. lean — thin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cap — a lid
  20. hand — help
  21. row — a line
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. hand — in cards

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