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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pop — soda
  6. ball — a great time
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bank — of a river
  19. band — a ring
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pop — music
  24. band — a music group

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