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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. land — a country
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. land — ground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stem — to come from
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. land — to come down
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. rash — a series
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rash — hasty

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