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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mark — a trace
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cap — a lid
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. toast — bread
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chest — a box
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chest — of your body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. dip — to sink

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