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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cap — of ice
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mine — for digging
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. deal — to handle
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cap — a lid

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