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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. tube — the underground
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. roll — a list
  13. branch — a division
  14. bear — the animal
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. tube — a container

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