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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cell — a phone
  11. spell — magic
  12. pit — in a race
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pit — a hole
  20. spell — letters
  21. bat — the animal
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. root — the cause
  24. lean — thin

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