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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. branch — a division
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fine — all right
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. ground — a position
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wave — of the sea

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