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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. last — to go on
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pop — music
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pop — soda
  18. kid — child
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — finally
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. last — final

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