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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spell — magic
  3. branch — a division
  4. tube — the underground
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stand — to bear
  7. file — a document
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — letters
  17. tube — a container
  18. shower — to wash
  19. can — a tin
  20. shower — rain
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. spell — a short time

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