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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. face — part of the head
  13. charge — a price
  14. bank — for money
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. charge — electricity
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. charge — in control

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