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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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. file — a line of people
  4. stem — to come from
  5. tube — the underground
  6. branch — a division
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cap — a hat
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rule — government
  13. file — a tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. tube — a container
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cap — of ice
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. band — a ring
  22. file — a document
  23. rule — a law
  24. band — a music group

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