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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bank — of a river
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. game — a match
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bank — for money
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. row — to paddle
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bank — for money
  20. cap — a lid
  21. row — a line
  22. cap — of ice
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mouse — the animal

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