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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cap — a lid
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rash — a series
  5. wind — moving air
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. drill — army training
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cap — of ice
  13. firm — steady
  14. bound — obliged
  15. firm — decided
  16. bound — certain
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bound — tied together
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. drill — a practice
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. firm — a company

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