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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. branch — a division
  5. mug — to rob
  6. spring — the season
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. key — in music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mug — a face
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. key — the most important part
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lean — thin
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. spring — a coil

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