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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — a division
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rule — a law
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — low music
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rule — government

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