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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. can — a tin
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stock — shares
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. board — to get on
  10. lean — thin
  11. kid — child
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cap — a lid
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. board — a committee
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stock — goods

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