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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. root — of a word
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stock — goods
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stock — shares
  15. root — the cause
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lie — to recline
  18. root — of a plant
  19. shower — rain
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — a division
  23. saw — the tool
  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