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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. object — an aim
  5. clip — for paper
  6. key — in music
  7. firm — decided
  8. object — a thing
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. tube — a container
  11. key — the most important part
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. object — to protest
  15. clip — to cut
  16. firm — a company
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. clip — a video
  20. key — for a lock
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. tube — the underground
  23. firm — steady
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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