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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. foot — a measure
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cap — a lid
  15. hand — help
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mug — a face
  21. fork — in a road
  22. face — to confront
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mug — to rob

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