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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. land — to come down
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pop — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. march — the month
  12. pop — soda
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. land — a country
  17. lie — to recline
  18. object — a thing
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pop — to visit
  21. march — the month
  22. object — to protest
  23. land — ground
  24. march — music

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