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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. file — a document
  6. court — of a king
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. court — for sport
  9. cap — a lid
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. branch — a division
  15. rock — music
  16. file — a tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. file — a line of people
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — a stone
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. court — of law

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