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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cap — of ice
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cap — a lid
  9. band — a ring
  10. mug — to rob
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mug — a face
  14. band — a music group
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. prune — the fruit

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