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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pass — a permit
  4. drill — a practice
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fall — the season
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fall — to drop
  12. staff — employees
  13. drill — army training
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. staff — employees
  16. drill — the tool
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fall — to drop

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