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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cap — a hat
  3. net — in sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cap — a lid
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lean — thin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wake — a trail
  23. net — after costs
  24. fan — a supporter

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