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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mug — a face
  3. bank — for money
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. charge — a price
  6. mug — a cup
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cap — a lid
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. deal — to handle
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mug — to rob
  16. charge — in control
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bank — for money
  19. cap — a hat
  20. perch — the fish
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rash — a series

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