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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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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: ruler · branch · wave · cap · chair · sharp · mate · bowl

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mate — a partner
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cap — of ice

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