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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. race — humankind
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. squash — to crush
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cap — of ice
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. race — a contest
  21. shower — rain
  22. squash — the sport
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. race — the arms race

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