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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. deal — to handle
  5. board — a committee
  6. band — a ring
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cap — a hat
  11. band — a music group
  12. fork — in a road
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. board — to get on

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