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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. root — the cause
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. root — of a plant
  12. saw — the tool
  13. object — a thing
  14. stand — to bear
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cap — of ice
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. root — of a word
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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