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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.

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: file · drill · bear · foot · lean · game · rock · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. game — a match
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. drill — army training
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rock — music
  9. file — a tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. foot — a measure
  17. game — wild animals
  18. file — a document
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. file — a line of people
  21. drill — the tool
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. game — a kind of play

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