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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. drill — army training
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wind — moving air
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. drill — the tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. perch — the fish
  19. drill — a practice
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cap — of ice
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wind — moving air

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