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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pop — soda
  4. swing — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — in golf
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bank — of a river
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. plane — a tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pop — to visit
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bank — for money
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chip — to eat

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