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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. prune — to trim
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cap — a hat
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — a face
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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