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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. file — a document
  7. board — to get on
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. band — a ring
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. fall — the season
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fall — to drop
  18. band — a music group
  19. board — a committee
  20. perch — the fish
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. board — a flat piece

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