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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bank — of a river
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. branch — a division
  10. wind — moving air
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bank — for money
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. swing — music
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lean — thin
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mug — to rob

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