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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. root — of a word
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — a hat
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. root — the cause
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pass — a permit
  24. squash — the vegetable

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