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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · cap · tube · pop · staff · craft · tear · last

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. last — final
  5. staff — employees
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pop — to visit
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. staff — employees
  12. last — finally
  13. cap — of ice
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. tube — a container
  16. rest — a break
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pop — soda
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pop — music
  23. tear — to rip
  24. last — to go on

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