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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bass — low music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rash — hasty
  11. snap — to click
  12. cap — a lid
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rash — a series
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bass — the fish
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. calf — a young 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