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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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 — of ice
  2. object — a thing
  3. bark — to shout
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. cap — a hat
  9. race — humankind
  10. bank — for money
  11. cap — a lid
  12. race — the arms race
  13. last — final
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bank — for money
  16. last — to go on
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. race — a contest
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. last — finally
  23. ball — a great time
  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