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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cap — a hat
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. shower — to wash
  10. drill — army training
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bear — the animal

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