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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. shower — rain
  3. face — to point toward
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. face — to confront
  8. can — a tin
  9. kid — child
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. can — a tin
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. shower — to wash
  16. branch — a division
  17. kid — to tease
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. face — part of the head
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. can — to be able to

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