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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bank — for money
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fall — the season
  20. craft — boats
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. branch — a division
  24. sharp — clever

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