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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cap — a lid
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. shower — to wash
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — there
  10. mark — a grade
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. present — a gift
  15. rest — a break
  16. shower — rain
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rest — what's left
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spell — magic
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. present — the time now

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