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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mark — a trace
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cap — a lid
  7. capital — money
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. cap — a hat
  14. capital — a city
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. cell — in biology

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