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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. chip — to eat
  12. snap — to click
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — decided
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cap — of ice
  17. firm — steady
  18. prune — to trim
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. firm — a company
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bear — the animal

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