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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. capital — money
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. shower — rain
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. root — of a plant
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cap — of ice
  24. chair — a leader

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