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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cap — a hat
  5. content — the amount
  6. squash — to crush
  7. kick — in football
  8. content — happy
  9. branch — a division
  10. lean — to bend
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cap — of ice
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lean — thin
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bark — to shout

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