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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. dip — to sink
  3. firm — decided
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chest — a box
  7. mark — a trace
  8. firm — steady
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chest — of your body
  11. branch — a division
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. file — a document
  16. cap — a hat
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mark — a grade
  23. firm — a company
  24. safe — out of danger

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