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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. branch — a division
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bat — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cell — a phone
  24. nail — for a hammer

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