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

Word bank: cap · mouse · swing · chest · face · bear · board · toast

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. toast — bread
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — part of the head
  10. board — to get on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. swing — to play on
  16. face — to confront
  17. board — a committee
  18. swing — music
  19. face — to point toward
  20. chest — a box
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chest — of your body
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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