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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bear — the animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fall — the season
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. face — to confront
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. saw — the tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cap — a lid
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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