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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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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mug — to rob
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bat — the animal
  9. land — ground
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. roll — a list
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. branch — a division
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mug — a cup
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mug — a face
  23. land — a country
  24. bat — for baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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