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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. stock — shares
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rule — government
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cap — of ice
  7. clip — a video
  8. branch — a division
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. tear — to rip
  12. clip — to cut
  13. tear — from crying
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — a law
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. stock — goods
  22. present — a gift
  23. cap — a lid
  24. clip — for paper

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