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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. spell — magic
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. spell — letters
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cap — a lid
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. spell — a short time

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