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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rest — what's left
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — a grade
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cap — of ice
  16. foot — a measure
  17. scale — in music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mark — a trace
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. snap — to click
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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