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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pass — a permit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cap — a lid
  9. net — in sport
  10. bear — the animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. bear — the animal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. cap — of ice

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