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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cap — a hat
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cap — of ice
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — an aim
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ground — a position
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spell — magic
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wake — a trail
  20. object — a thing
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. object — to protest

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