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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. net — for catching
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. net — after costs
  9. band — a music group
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. spell — magic
  14. band — a ring
  15. lie — to recline
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fork — in a road
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mark — a grade
  22. spell — letters
  23. mark — a trace
  24. net — in sport

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