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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 124 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. branch — a division
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. net — for catching
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. roll — a cake
  13. net — in sport
  14. mate — a friend
  15. net — after costs
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bound — obliged
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. roll — a list
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bound — certain

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