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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: mate · wound · roll · cue · cap · safe · object · branch

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. object — to protest
  3. mate — a partner
  4. branch — a division
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cap — a lid
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mate — a friend
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cue — for pool
  12. roll — a list
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cue — a signal
  15. object — a thing
  16. mate — to breed
  17. object — an aim
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wound — an injury
  24. roll — on a roll

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