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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. craft — boats
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mug — a cup
  7. band — a ring
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mug — a face
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. band — a music group
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mark — a grade
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stem — of a plant

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