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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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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: spell · cap · hide · rush · saw · lean · pop · face

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lean — thin
  4. pop — music
  5. cap — a lid
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cap — a hat
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lean — to bend
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. spell — magic
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. face — to confront
  22. pop — soda
  23. spell — letters
  24. rush — hurry

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