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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. swing — in golf
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. hand — help
  5. swing — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bound — obliged
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. key — in music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bark — to shout
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bound — tied together
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bound — certain
  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