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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mate — to breed
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. band — a music group
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rock — a stone
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mate — a friend
  15. band — a ring
  16. rock — music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. band — a rubber band

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