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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. object — to protest
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hand — help
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fine — all right
  10. hand — in cards
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pit — a hole
  17. object — an aim
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. object — a thing
  22. season — of the year
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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