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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 120 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. branch — a division
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. face — to confront
  8. mark — a trace
  9. face — part of the head
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — certain
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bound — obliged
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. race — the arms race
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. cap — a lid
  24. face — to point toward

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