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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. deal — an agreement
  3. cap — a hat
  4. season — in sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. capital — a city
  8. cap — a lid
  9. deal — to handle
  10. object — a thing
  11. season — of the year
  12. press — a publisher
  13. object — to protest
  14. capital — money
  15. press — to push
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. object — an aim
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bank — for money
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wax — to grow
  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