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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. branch — a division
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. staff — employees
  6. file — a line of people
  7. staff — employees
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. file — a tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. file — a document
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. staff — a stick
  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