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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. file — a document
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. date — the fruit
  10. spring — of water
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. file — a tool
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. file — a line of people
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spring — the season
  18. saw — the tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. spring — a coil
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. branch — a division
  24. nail — for a hammer

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