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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — a country
  7. charge — a price
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bear — the animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. spring — the season
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. land — ground
  14. mark — a grade
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mark — a trace
  20. spring — of water
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cap — of ice
  23. land — to come down
  24. bear — the animal

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