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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. saw — the tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spring — the season
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rest — a break
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — a division
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spring — of water
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spring — a coil

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