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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fall — the season
  3. firm — a company
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fall — to drop
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. firm — steady
  16. cue — a hint
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. firm — decided

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