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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. branch — a division
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — an aim
  13. spring — of water
  14. face — part of the head
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spring — the season
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spring — a coil
  20. face — to point toward
  21. dip — to sink
  22. face — to confront
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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