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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wake — a trail
  7. present — a gift
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. present — the time now
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bound — certain
  17. present — there
  18. stem — to come from
  19. court — of law
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. cap — a hat

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