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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rest — what's left
  6. file — a line of people
  7. band — a ring
  8. rest — what's left
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fall — to drop
  14. file — a tool
  15. mate — a friend
  16. file — a document
  17. band — a music group
  18. fall — the season
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rest — a break
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fall — to drop
  23. branch — a division
  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