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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.

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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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lean — thin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mine — for digging
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. season — in sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. season — of the year

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