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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. present — the time now
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. present — a gift
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. track — a song
  13. pound — a weight
  14. file — a document
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. present — there
  17. cap — a lid
  18. file — a tool
  19. perch — the fish
  20. track — a path
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lie — an untruth

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