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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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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. suit — to fit
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wound — an injury
  11. branch — a division
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. squash — to crush
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. shower — rain
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mark — a trace
  20. staff — employees
  21. suit — clothes
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mark — a grade
  24. hand — part of the body

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