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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rest — a break
  3. suit — in cards
  4. firm — a company
  5. cap — a lid
  6. firm — decided
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stem — to come from
  11. roll — a cake
  12. suit — clothes
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — steady
  19. bear — the animal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. lean — thin
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. roll — a list
  24. bear — to put up with

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