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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rest — a break
  4. season — in sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. shower — rain
  12. season — of the year
  13. bank — for money
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bank — of a river
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bank — for money
  24. rest — what's left

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