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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. dip — to sink
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — of ice
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — obliged
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. vault — a safe
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bound — certain
  24. fan — a supporter

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