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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. craft — a skill
  7. snap — to click
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. drill — army training
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rock — music
  17. craft — boats
  18. cap — a lid
  19. drill — the tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rock — a stone
  23. staff — employees
  24. mouse — the animal

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