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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wind — moving air
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. spell — letters
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. can — a tin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — to be able to
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. spell — magic
  20. can — a tin
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stock — shares
  24. cue — a signal

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