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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mug — a face
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mark — a grade
  7. shower — rain
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pitch — completely
  17. can — a tin
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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