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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. roll — a list
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cap — of ice
  7. band — a ring
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. saw — the tool
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — a cake
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. saw — the tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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