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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. spell — letters
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mug — to rob
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mine — for digging
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. spell — magic
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. branch — a division

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