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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 116 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mug — a cup
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mug — a face
  7. band — a music group
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. land — a country
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. land — ground
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. band — a ring
  21. plane — a tool
  22. land — to come down
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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