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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. face — to confront
  3. charge — a price
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cap — a lid
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. charge — in control
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. shower — rain
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. prune — to trim
  20. shower — to wash
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cap — of ice
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. face — to point toward

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