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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wound — an injury
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cap — a hat
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. season — of the year
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pass — a permit
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. season — in sport
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wake — a trail
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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