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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. branch — a division
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. field — a subject
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cap — of ice
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wake — a trail
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. chip — to eat

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