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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. suit — to fit
  3. season — of the year
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. suit — in cards
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. cap — a hat
  10. object — a thing
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. firm — steady
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. object — an aim
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. land — to come down
  18. snap — to click
  19. firm — decided
  20. branch — a division
  21. firm — a company
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  24. object — to protest

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