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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spell — a short time
  7. tube — a container
  8. branch — a division
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spell — magic
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. spell — letters
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hand — help

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