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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. dip — to sink
  3. present — the time now
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. cap — a hat
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cap — of ice
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. face — to point toward
  16. present — a gift
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. present — there
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. nail — for a hammer

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