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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 120 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rock — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. game — wild animals
  11. face — to confront
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. game — a match
  14. stand — to bear
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mine — for digging
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rock — to move gently

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