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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. current — of water
  7. face — to point toward
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — happening now
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. current — electric
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. cap — a lid
  14. key — for a lock
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bulb — for light
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bulb — for light
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. key — in music
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to confront

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