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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rest — what's left
  4. field — a subject
  5. cap — of ice
  6. craft — boats
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hand — in cards
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. field — farmland
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rest — a break
  17. hand — help
  18. field — for sport
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pass — a permit
  23. plane — a tool
  24. craft — a skill

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