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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 120 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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. firm — steady
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. firm — a company
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rock — music
  20. branch — a division
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — the sport
  24. firm — decided

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