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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. spell — magic
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cap — a lid
  8. scale — in music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mate — to breed
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. spell — letters
  14. bear — the animal
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mark — a grade
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mate — a friend
  21. lean — thin
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mark — a trace
  24. snap — to click

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