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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cap — a hat
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. clip — for paper
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — of ice
  18. clip — a video
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cabinet — ministers

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