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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cap — a lid
  6. capital — money
  7. present — there
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. present — the time now
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. capital — a city
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lie — to recline
  20. plane — a tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. safe — out of danger

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