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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chest — of your body
  5. board — to get on
  6. squash — to crush
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chest — a box
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. board — a committee
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. object — an aim
  20. cap — a hat
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fork — in a road

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