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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rest — a break
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fine — all right
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cold — an illness
  21. fine — high quality
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pound — a weight
  24. sharp — clever

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