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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. net — after costs
  3. cap — of ice
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fall — the season
  6. rest — what's left
  7. branch — a division
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rest — a break
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — in sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. net — for catching
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bear — the animal
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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