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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. net — after costs
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. branch — a division
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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