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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ground — crushed
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ground — a position
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. can — to be able to

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