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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. board — a committee
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. land — a country
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tube — a container
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cap — a lid
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cap — of ice
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. board — to get on
  20. craft — boats
  21. bank — for money
  22. land — ground
  23. bank — of a river
  24. land — to come down

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