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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. season — in sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cap — a hat
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. kid — child
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cell — in biology
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. kid — to tease
  20. craft — boats
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. cell — a phone
  23. saw — the tool
  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