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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pop — soda
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pop — music
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bank — for money
  9. branch — a division
  10. tube — a container
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tube — the underground
  13. saw — the tool
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cold — an illness
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bank — for money
  19. suit — to fit
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bank — of a river
  24. saw — the tool

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