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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. branch — a division
  7. tube — a container
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. firm — a company
  11. mine — for digging
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. firm — steady
  14. pass — a permit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. firm — decided
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spell — magic

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