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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cap — a hat
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — hurry
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — to point toward

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