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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. band — a ring
  5. cap — a lid
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wax — to grow
  9. foot — a measure
  10. face — to confront
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. face — to point toward
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cap — of ice
  22. band — a music group
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ball — a great time

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