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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rock — a stone
  10. object — to protest
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. object — a thing
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — a division
  15. rock — music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tube — a container
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. object — an aim
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wind — to turn a key

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