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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cap — a lid
  3. court — of law
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cap — of ice
  8. board — a committee
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. race — humankind
  11. court — for sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tube — a container
  16. court — of a king
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cap — a hat
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. board — to get on
  23. race — a contest
  24. board — a flat piece

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