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

Word bank: bank · stem · cap · cold · pound · mate · rest · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cold — an illness
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rest — what's left
  12. object — an aim
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bank — for money
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rest — a break
  20. bank — of a river
  21. object — to protest
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pound — for dogs

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