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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mine — for digging
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. season — in sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mate — a partner
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cap — of ice
  15. branch — a division
  16. track — a path
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mate — to breed
  19. suit — clothes
  20. season — of the year
  21. suit — in cards
  22. track — a song
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mine — belonging to me

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