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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fall — the season
  3. kick — in football
  4. board — to get on
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. vault — a safe
  7. deal — to handle
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spell — a short time
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. board — a committee
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cap — of ice
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fall — to drop
  24. board — a flat piece

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