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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. squash — to crush
  10. face — to confront
  11. stock — shares
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. last — to go on
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stock — goods
  18. last — final
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. squash — the sport
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cell — a phone
  23. last — finally
  24. branch — of a tree

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