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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — electric
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. craft — boats
  12. march — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. current — of water
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. current — happening now
  19. march — the month
  20. lie — to recline
  21. drill — army training
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. march — the month
  24. craft — a skill

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