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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · ground · cap · cabinet · suit · fall · bear · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ground — a position
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — a lid
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fall — the season
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ground — the earth
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fall — to drop
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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