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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. saw — the tool
  3. shower — to wash
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. last — final
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. saw — the tool
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — finally
  18. suit — to fit
  19. last — to go on
  20. bear — the animal
  21. shower — rain
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pass — a permit

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