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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. branch — a division
  4. foot — a measure
  5. land — ground
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — a face
  13. lie — to recline
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. land — a country
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. land — to come down
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bass — the fish

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