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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. last — finally
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bark — to shout
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. staff — employees
  11. branch — a division
  12. last — to go on
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. last — final
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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