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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — a lid
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. date — the fruit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. track — a path
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — a container
  21. track — a song
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. date — on the calendar

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