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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. game — a match
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. firm — a company
  7. bank — for money
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cap — a hat
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. firm — decided
  12. game — wild animals
  13. sharp — clever
  14. firm — steady
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cap — of ice
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. last — to go on
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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