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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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 — of ice
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cap — a hat
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — a lid
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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