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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. present — a gift
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. charge — a price
  6. present — the time now
  7. lean — thin
  8. charge — in control
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — there
  13. can — to be able to
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. charge — electricity
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lean — to rest against

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