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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cap — a hat
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cap — a lid
  7. charge — in control
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. charge — a price
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cold — not warm
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. cold — an illness
  24. arm — part of the body

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