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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pop — music
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pop — soda
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rule — government
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pit — a hole
  11. branch — a division
  12. rule — a law
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lean — thin
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hand — help
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pop — to visit
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. dip — to dunk
  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