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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 124 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. spell — letters
  3. tube — a container
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. spell — a short time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spell — magic
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cap — a hat
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bank — for money
  13. face — to confront
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. toast — bread
  19. bank — for money
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bank — of a river

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