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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rock — music
  5. spell — letters
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rock — a stone
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mark — a trace
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. spell — magic

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