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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. snap — to click
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. face — to confront
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — music
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pop — soda
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bear — the animal
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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