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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: snap · rash · branch · safe · march · cap · bay · season

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. branch — a division
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. snap — to click
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cap — a hat
  14. march — the month
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cap — of ice
  17. march — the month
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. march — music
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rash — hasty
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. season — in sport
  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