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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. branch — a division
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. clip — a video
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hand — in cards
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hand — help
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. clip — for paper
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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