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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. court — of a king
  3. file — a line of people
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. file — a tool
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. court — for sport
  11. dip — to sink
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — a division
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. deal — to handle
  16. file — a document
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. court — of law
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. deal — an agreement

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