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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cap — a lid
  9. squash — the sport
  10. file — a document
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. file — a tool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — a division
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bulb — for light
  24. net — after costs

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