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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 124 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fine — all right
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. spring — a coil
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. spring — of water
  14. fall — the season
  15. chair — a leader
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mate — a friend
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mate — to breed
  24. spring — the season

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