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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.

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: can · cold · march · cap · dip · mouse · suit · plane

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. dip — to sink
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. suit — to fit
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. march — music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. suit — clothes
  12. march — the month
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cap — of ice
  16. march — the month
  17. can — a tin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cold — not warm
  24. can — a tin

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