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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. suit — clothes
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. suit — to fit
  7. can — to be able to
  8. row — to paddle
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. suit — in cards
  12. can — a tin
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — a line
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — a lid
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. foot — a measure
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cap — of ice
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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