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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. club — for dancing
  4. can — to be able to
  5. root — of a word
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. can — a tin
  8. branch — a division
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fine — all right
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. can — a tin
  17. club — for golf
  18. chip — to eat
  19. club — a group
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. root — the cause
  24. lie — to recline

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