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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. firm — decided
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stem — to come from
  13. firm — steady
  14. cap — a hat
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. firm — a company
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — a path
  21. bound — certain
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. track — a song

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