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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 124 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lie — to recline
  5. key — the most important part
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cap — of ice
  10. content — happy
  11. key — in music
  12. hand — help
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. march — the month
  16. content — the amount
  17. march — the month
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. firm — decided
  20. saw — the tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. saw — the tool
  23. march — music
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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