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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kick — in football
  6. bass — low music
  7. present — there
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. cap — of ice

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