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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · cap · spell · bear · sharp · fall

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fall — the season
  9. spell — letters
  10. cap — of ice
  11. kick — in football
  12. spell — a short time
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. spell — magic

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