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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. object — an aim
  3. spring — of water
  4. object — a thing
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. land — ground
  8. bound — certain
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. land — to come down
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bound — obliged
  14. land — a country
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spring — the season
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cap — a lid
  21. band — a music group
  22. object — to protest
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cabinet — ministers

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