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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. spell — letters
  8. pop — music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spell — magic
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bound — tied together
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bound — certain
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pop — soda

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