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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spell — magic
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. mate — to breed
  9. spell — letters
  10. rock — music
  11. branch — a division
  12. mate — a friend
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hand — help
  18. stock — goods
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mate — a partner

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