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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cap — a lid
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — for sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — for money
  10. deal — to handle
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. cap — a hat
  17. object — to protest
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cap — of ice

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