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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. file — a tool
  3. bass — low music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. file — a document
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a ring
  14. tube — the underground
  15. vault — a safe
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bass — the fish
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. tube — a container
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. band — a music group

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