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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a dance
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. spring — the season
  7. wound — an injury
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. lie — to recline
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rock — music
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ball — a great time
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. spring — of water
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. charge — a price

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