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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stand — to bear
  10. branch — a division
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rock — music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — in biology
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — for digging

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