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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cell — in biology
  3. staff — employees
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. branch — a division
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. saw — the tool
  21. staff — employees
  22. rest — a break
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cell — a phone

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