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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. foot — part of the body
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cap — of ice
  5. drill — army training
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — goods
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stock — shares
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. drill — a practice
  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