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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lean — thin
  4. land — a country
  5. cap — a hat
  6. can — a tin
  7. cap — a lid
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bore — to drill
  10. branch — a division
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. can — a tin
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. land — ground

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