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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bound — tied together
  4. game — a match
  5. branch — a division
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. root — of a word
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bound — obliged
  13. root — the cause
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bound — certain
  16. rush — hurry
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cap — a lid
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. root — of a plant
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. leaves — lets stay

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