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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cap — of ice
  3. toast — bread
  4. cap — a hat
  5. drill — army training
  6. firm — decided
  7. last — to go on
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. last — final
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. drill — the tool
  16. last — finally
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. firm — a company
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. branch — a division
  22. firm — steady
  23. face — part of the head
  24. branch — of a bank

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