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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. row — a line
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mate — a partner
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mate — a friend
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. land — ground

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