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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rush — hurry
  4. suit — clothes
  5. chest — a box
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. staff — employees
  10. file — a tool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. staff — employees
  14. cap — a lid
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. file — a document
  18. cap — of ice
  19. file — a line of people
  20. suit — to fit
  21. chest — of your body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. staff — a stick
  24. sharp — with an edge

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