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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. branch — a division
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tube — a container
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lean — thin

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