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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. roll — a list
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cap — a lid
  14. current — electric
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lie — an untruth

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