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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. face — part of the head
  5. drill — army training
  6. can — a tin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cap — of ice
  10. face — to point toward
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. can — a tin
  15. clip — for paper
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. clip — to cut
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cap — a lid
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. face — to confront
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. clip — a video

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