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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. firm — a company
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. band — a ring
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — a lid
  8. firm — decided
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wound — an injury
  11. band — a music group
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. firm — steady
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cap — a hat
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — a trace
  24. perch — for a bird

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