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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. club — for dancing
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. club — a group
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hand — help
  16. stand — to bear
  17. squash — to crush
  18. club — for golf
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mug — a face
  22. squash — the sport
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mug — to rob

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