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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — a line
  4. last — finally
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bore — to drill
  7. last — to go on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. object — to protest
  11. cap — a hat
  12. band — a ring
  13. bore — to tire
  14. object — a thing
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ball — a great time
  17. last — final
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. object — an aim
  21. band — a music group
  22. cap — a lid
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ball — a dance

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