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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. season — in sport
  3. squash — the sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — of the year
  7. cap — a lid
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hand — help
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — in cards
  20. squash — to crush
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a grade

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