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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. march — the month
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bank — for money
  6. cap — of ice
  7. spell — magic
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. spell — letters
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cap — a lid
  15. march — music
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — the month
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spell — a short time

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