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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. season — in sport
  4. present — the time now
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. season — of the year
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. charge — a price
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. present — there
  14. cold — not warm
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. charge — in control
  17. mug — a face
  18. present — a gift
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cold — an illness
  24. mug — to rob

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