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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.

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
468
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: chair · cap · mouse · rash · ruler · rock · can · spell

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spell — letters
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rash — a series
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. rock — music
  15. rash — hasty
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mouse — the animal

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