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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. firm — steady
  4. object — a thing
  5. firm — a company
  6. rock — a stone
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. object — an aim
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. deal — to handle
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. object — to protest
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cold — an illness
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. firm — decided
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cold — not warm

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