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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bank — for money
  3. firm — a company
  4. kid — child
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cap — a lid
  9. firm — steady
  10. mate — a partner
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mate — a friend
  14. race — humankind
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. race — a contest
  19. firm — decided
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. mate — to breed
  22. kid — to tease
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bank — of a river

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