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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cap — a lid
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. saw — the tool
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mate — a friend
  12. saw — the tool
  13. squash — to crush
  14. branch — a division
  15. track — a song
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mate — a partner
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wake — a trail
  21. squash — the sport
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. track — a path

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