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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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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: cap · face · cell · pass · band · mark · dip · snap

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. band — a ring
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. band — a music group
  6. cell — in biology
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mark — a grade
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cap — of ice
  16. snap — to click
  17. cap — a lid
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pass — a permit

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