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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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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: wave · branch · hide · track · ground · band · cap · ruler

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. band — a music group
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. branch — a division
  6. track — to keep track
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. track — a song
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cap — of ice
  14. track — a path
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ground — the earth
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ground — a position
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. ground — crushed

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