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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stem — to come from
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cap — of ice
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. club — for dancing
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tear — to rip
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. drill — the tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tear — from crying
  22. drill — army training
  23. firm — steady
  24. club — for golf

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