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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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 lid
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — all right
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. chest — a box
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. drill — a practice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cap — a hat
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fine — high quality
  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