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

Word bank: face · fall · content · trunk · bear · cap · deal · mark

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. content — the amount
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cap — of ice
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fall — the season
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fall — to drop
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. face — to confront
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mark — a grade
  19. face — part of the head
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. face — to point toward
  22. content — happy
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cap — a lid

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