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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cue — for pool
  3. track — a path
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cue — a signal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cap — a lid
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a hint
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cap — a hat
  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