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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. tube — a container
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rock — music
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bank — of a river
  9. staff — employees
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bank — for money
  16. staff — employees
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. roll — a list
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rash — hasty
  21. branch — a division
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bank — for money

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