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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. present — there
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. board — to get on
  7. content — the amount
  8. present — the time now
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kid — to tease
  11. cap — of ice
  12. present — a gift
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lie — to recline
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. board — a committee
  21. content — happy
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. branch — a division

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