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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 120 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. shower — to wash
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. craft — boats
  9. stock — shares
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cap — of ice
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stock — goods
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. craft — a skill
  22. dip — to sink
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cap — a lid

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