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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lean — to bend
  6. degree — temperature
  7. lean — thin
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rash — a series
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rash — hasty
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. pass — a permit
  24. last — finally

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