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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. craft — boats
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. saw — the tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. saw — the tool
  13. content — happy
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bank — for money
  17. craft — a skill
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ball — a dance
  24. calf — of the leg

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