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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. branch — a division
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — a lid
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. row — to paddle
  16. lean — thin
  17. row — a line
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rock — a stone
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mouse — for a computer

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