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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wake — a trail
  3. season — in sport
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cap — of ice
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. key — in music
  10. rest — a break
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. court — of a king
  14. lie — to recline
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — the most important part
  20. season — of the year
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mark — a trace

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