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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cap — of ice
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bank — for money
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mine — an explosive

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