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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. band — a ring
  7. staff — employees
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. band — a music group
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cap — a lid
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. staff — employees
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. staff — a stick
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cell — a phone
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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