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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 124 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mate — a partner
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — a cup
  10. track — a song
  11. mug — a face
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cap — a lid
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bound — obliged
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. track — a path

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