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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. cap — a hat
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. craft — boats
  6. cap — a lid
  7. snap — to click
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — all right
  10. capital — a city
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fine — high quality
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. capital — money
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. prune — to trim
  23. face — part of the head
  24. toast — bread

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