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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 120 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. cap — of ice
  3. race — the arms race
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — a country
  7. band — a ring
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cap — a hat
  11. band — a music group
  12. race — humankind
  13. stock — shares
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — a contest
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bank — for money
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stock — goods
  21. bank — of a river
  22. land — to come down
  23. suit — clothes
  24. hide — to keep secret

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