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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. hand — in cards
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. track — a song
  6. cap — a hat
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. track — a path
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bear — the animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mark — a grade
  16. hand — help
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cabinet — ministers

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