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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fine — all right
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mug — a face
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. court — of law
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. court — of a king
  18. cap — a lid
  19. court — for sport
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mouse — for a computer

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