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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. suit — clothes
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chest — of your body
  6. spring — a coil
  7. chest — of your body
  8. drill — the tool
  9. suit — to fit
  10. spring — the season
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chest — a box
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. ground — crushed
  15. branch — a division
  16. bass — low music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. spring — of water
  21. drill — army training
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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