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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. branch — a division
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. last — finally
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mug — to rob
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mug — a face
  19. last — final
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. last — to go on
  22. cue — a signal
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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