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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — a path
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a music group
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. saw — the tool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. band — a ring
  18. track — a song
  19. saw — the tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bulb — of a plant

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