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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cap — of ice
  7. land — a country
  8. date — the fruit
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pop — music
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bank — for money
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wind — moving air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. land — to come down
  23. pop — to visit
  24. land — ground

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