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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ground — a position
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kick — in football
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. net — for catching
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. ground — the earth
  12. net — in sport
  13. wind — moving air
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. net — after costs
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cap — of ice
  24. plane — a tool

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