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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. firm — decided
  3. cap — a lid
  4. firm — a company
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. race — a contest
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. firm — steady
  9. race — humankind
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — for sport
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bank — of a river
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bank — for money
  18. field — a subject
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tube — a container
  23. field — farmland
  24. bank — for money

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