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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cap — a lid
  6. root — the cause
  7. rule — a law
  8. root — of a plant
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bank — of a river
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bank — for money
  15. rule — government
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pass — a permit
  23. root — of a word
  24. cap — of ice

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