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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: rock · cabinet · mouse · spring · branch · bowl · cap · saw

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rock — music
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cap — a lid
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spring — of water
  16. rock — a stone
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. spring — a coil
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spring — the season
  24. bowl — a football final

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