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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bank — for money
  3. spell — magic
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. staff — employees
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cap — of ice
  8. staff — employees
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. date — the fruit
  12. drill — a practice
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. drill — army training
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. drill — the tool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. cap — a lid
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. spell — letters

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