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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cell — in biology
  6. spring — the season
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — of water
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cell — a phone
  14. can — a tin
  15. bank — for money
  16. fall — the season
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. spring — a coil
  23. face — to point toward
  24. cap — a lid

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