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

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. present — there
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. branch — a division
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. season — of the year
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cap — of ice
  10. dip — to sink
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. present — a gift
  16. lean — thin
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. present — the time now
  19. lean — to bend
  20. saw — the tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. cap — a lid

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