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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. branch — a division
  5. track — a path
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. track — a song
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ball — a dance
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. track — to keep track
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — of a bank

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