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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cap — of ice
  10. charge — a price
  11. rock — music
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. sharp — clever
  17. snap — to click
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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