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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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. last — final
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. current — happening now
  9. staff — a stick
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. club — a group
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. last — finally
  17. club — for golf
  18. staff — employees
  19. branch — a division
  20. last — to go on
  21. rest — what's left
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. staff — employees

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