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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hand — in cards
  6. present — the time now
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cap — of ice
  10. suit — clothes
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hand — help
  13. kick — in football
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. suit — in cards
  17. present — there
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cap — a lid
  20. branch — a division
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. present — a gift

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