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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bank — for money
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bank — for money
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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