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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. track — a path
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — a song
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. present — a gift
  15. lean — thin
  16. shower — rain
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. face — to confront
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. present — there
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cap — a lid
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cap — a hat

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