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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.

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: saw · present · root · fine · band · cap · fan · drill

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. cap — a hat
  3. fine — high quality
  4. present — a gift
  5. fine — all right
  6. saw — the tool
  7. band — a ring
  8. present — there
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. drill — a practice
  13. root — the cause
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. present — the time now
  18. band — a music group
  19. root — of a plant
  20. drill — army training
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cap — a lid
  23. drill — the tool
  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