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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cap — of ice
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. cap — a hat
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitch — completely
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cap — a lid
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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