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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. suit — in cards
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. season — of the year
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mine — for digging
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. tube — a container
  16. season — in sport
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. suit — clothes

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