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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: staff · hand · fan · cap · lie · rock · present · jam

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rock — a stone
  5. present — a gift
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cap — of ice
  9. present — the time now
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cap — a lid
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. staff — employees
  17. rock — music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. present — there
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. hand — help
  24. staff — a stick

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