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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: face · cold · deal · can · cap · fine · shower · cell

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to confront
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cap — a hat
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cold — an illness
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. face — to point toward
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. can — a tin
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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