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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 124 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. club — for golf
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chest — a box
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cue — a signal
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cap — of ice
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. kick — in football
  24. club — a group

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