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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 124 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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. wave — with your hand
  4. spell — letters
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. board — to get on
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fine — all right
  14. race — a contest
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. race — the arms race
  17. board — a committee
  18. lean — thin
  19. race — humankind
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bear — to put up with

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