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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. object — to protest
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a music group
  5. object — a thing
  6. band — a ring
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. present — there
  14. object — an aim
  15. present — the time now
  16. cap — a hat
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lean — to bend
  20. present — a gift
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mine — for digging
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lean — thin

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