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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. branch — a division
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. band — a music group
  13. lean — thin
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. shower — rain
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. band — a rubber band

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