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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 120 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cap — of ice
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. shower — rain
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cell — a phone
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cell — in biology
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cap — a lid

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