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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cue — a signal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cap — a lid
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cue — a hint
  16. file — a document
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. branch — a division
  24. cap — of ice

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