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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. land — a country
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cap — a lid

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