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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spring — of water
  6. tube — the underground
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. face — part of the head
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. track — to keep track
  14. spring — the season
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tube — a container
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a path
  19. spring — a coil
  20. track — a song
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. racket — for tennis

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