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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. spring — a coil
  3. file — a document
  4. spring — of water
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. file — a tool
  8. craft — boats
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. degree — temperature
  17. cap — a hat
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cap — of ice
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — the season
  22. craft — a skill
  23. degree — from a university
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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