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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. scale — in music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. shower — to wash
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — shares
  12. firm — steady
  13. scale — size or range
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. shower — rain
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. branch — a division
  21. firm — a company
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stock — goods
  24. leaves — lets stay

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