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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bear — the animal
  3. field — farmland
  4. bear — the animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. field — for sport
  10. cap — of ice
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. rash — hasty
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cap — a lid
  18. field — a subject
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — a series
  24. cabinet — ministers

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