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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rock — a stone
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. land — to come down
  8. cap — a lid
  9. land — a country
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lean — thin
  14. rock — music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. can — a tin
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. land — ground
  23. wake — a trail
  24. can — a tin

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