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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mate — to breed
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cap — a hat
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mate — a friend
  11. suit — clothes
  12. branch — a division
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cap — a lid
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. hand — help
  20. mate — a partner
  21. hand — in cards
  22. fall — to drop
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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