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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pop — music
  3. branch — a division
  4. tube — the underground
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. tube — a container
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pop — to visit
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rush — hurry
  19. face — to confront
  20. pop — soda
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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