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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wind — moving air
  9. prune — to trim
  10. firm — decided
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fine — high quality
  15. firm — steady
  16. spring — of water
  17. firm — a company
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fine — all right
  20. suit — clothes
  21. sharp — clever
  22. spring — the season
  23. branch — a division
  24. suit — in cards

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