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

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. tube — a container
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. land — a country
  10. track — a song
  11. land — to come down
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. spring — the season
  15. pitch — completely
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. track — a path
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. tube — the underground
  21. land — ground
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. branch — of a tree

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