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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 124 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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rash — a series
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. firm — a company
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stem — to come from
  16. toast — bread
  17. firm — decided
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. tube — a container
  21. rash — hasty
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. firm — steady
  24. mate — a partner

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