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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. branch — a division
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bear — the animal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rash — a series
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cap — a hat
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cabinet — ministers

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