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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · wound · fan · lie · cap · bank · saw · root

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mug — a face
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bank — for money
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. root — the cause
  23. wound — an injury
  24. root — of a word

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