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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bark — to shout
  3. branch — a division
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. can — a tin
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bound — certain
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. swing — music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wave — of the sea

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