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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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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. branch — a division
  4. chest — a box
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mate — to breed
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. chest — of your body
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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