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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cap — of ice
  6. land — to come down
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rest — a break
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. key — for a lock
  12. land — a country
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bear — the animal
  23. land — ground
  24. dip — to sink

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