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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — the fish
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. shower — to wash
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. face — to confront
  9. cap — of ice
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. shower — rain
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cap — a lid

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