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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cap — a lid
  4. season — of the year
  5. cap — of ice
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fall — to drop
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fall — to drop
  15. content — the amount
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. season — in sport
  19. spring — a coil
  20. content — happy
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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