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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chest — of your body
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rest — what's left
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. branch — a division
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bulb — for light

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