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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. branch — of a bank

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