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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cap — of ice
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cap — a hat
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bank — for money
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — the animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. leaves — lets stay

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