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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cap — a hat
  4. can — a tin
  5. cap — a lid
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. face — part of the head
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. can — to be able to
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cap — of ice
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fall — the season
  21. face — to confront
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fall — to drop
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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