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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mug — a face
  5. pop — music
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pop — soda
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lie — to recline
  21. face — to confront
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. spell — magic
  24. lie — an untruth

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