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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. track — a path
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fall — to drop
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fall — the season
  12. branch — a division
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lean — thin
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. track — a song
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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