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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lean — to bend
  10. kick — in football
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cap — of ice
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. bass — low music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cell — a phone

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