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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cold — an illness
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. craft — boats
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rest — what's left
  14. toast — bread
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rock — a stone
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cold — not warm
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rest — a break
  24. craft — a handicraft

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