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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mark — a grade
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rest — a break
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mug — a face
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. face — to confront
  23. cap — a lid
  24. roll — a list

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