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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. tear — to rip
  8. scale — in music
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fork — in a road
  15. band — a music group
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rush — hurry
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cap — a hat
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. foot — part of the body

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