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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mug — a face
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. face — to confront
  8. cap — a lid
  9. branch — a division
  10. rock — music
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cap — of ice
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. root — the cause
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mug — to rob
  18. face — part of the head
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. root — of a word
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pass — to succeed

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