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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 locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cell — a phone
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. net — after costs
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fine — all right
  10. present — there
  11. kid — child
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. present — the time now
  14. fine — high quality
  15. net — for catching
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. branch — a division
  18. present — a gift
  19. sharp — clever
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. kid — to tease
  24. net — in sport

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