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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stem — to come from
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rash — a series
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rock — music
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rash — hasty

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