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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lie — to recline
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pit — in a race
  5. tear — to rip
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pit — a hole
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. root — the cause
  16. toast — bread
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cap — a hat
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lie — an untruth

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