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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. march — music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cell — in biology
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. march — the month
  8. cell — a phone
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cap — a hat
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. march — the month
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bulb — for light
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. branch — a division
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — to keep track

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