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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cap — of ice
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. hand — help
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. spell — magic
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spell — letters
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. spell — a short time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hand — part of the body

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