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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. branch — a division
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cap — of ice
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bark — to shout
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cap — a lid
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cue — a signal
  22. kick — in football
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cue — a hint

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