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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. charge — a price
  10. bear — the animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cap — of ice
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. tube — a container
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bore — to drill

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