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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. key — in music
  6. board — to get on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. key — for a lock
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bear — the animal
  13. last — to go on
  14. dip — to sink
  15. last — final
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. face — to point toward
  20. board — a committee
  21. key — the most important part
  22. face — to confront
  23. last — finally
  24. dip — to dunk

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