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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 116 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rock — music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rock — a stone
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wound — an injury

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