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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. suit — clothes
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — a measure
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. face — to confront
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — the season
  24. pound — to hit hard

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