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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hand — help
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — a lid
  18. face — to confront
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hand — in cards
  24. calf — a young animal

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