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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — for light
  4. current — electric
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. charge — a price
  13. current — of water
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cap — of ice

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