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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. cap — of ice
  9. dip — to sink
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bore — to drill
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cap — a lid
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rash — a series
  24. wave — with your hand

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