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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fork — in a road
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mug — to rob
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mug — a face
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pound — a weight

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