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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wake — a trail
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rock — music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitcher — a jug

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