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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. bat — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. present — the time now
  10. drill — the tool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. drill — army training
  13. cap — a lid
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. drill — a practice
  17. present — a gift
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. present — there
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. dip — to sink
  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