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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. branch — a division
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mine — for digging
  8. firm — a company
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stand — to bear
  13. firm — steady
  14. face — part of the head
  15. firm — decided
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — to point toward
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. face — to confront
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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