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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rash — a series
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bank — for money
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bank — for money
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. season — of the year
  23. cap — a lid
  24. field — farmland

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