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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cap — a hat
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. shower — rain
  6. firm — steady
  7. march — music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — to confront
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cap — of ice
  13. march — the month
  14. present — the time now
  15. face — to point toward
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — decided
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. dip — to sink
  20. cap — a lid
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. firm — a company
  23. face — part of the head
  24. dip — a sauce

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