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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. charge — in control
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pop — soda
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fall — the season
  13. squash — the sport
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pop — to visit
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pop — music
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. charge — a price
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fall — to drop

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