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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fall — to drop
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fall — the season
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bank — for money
  7. mate — to breed
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — in control
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bank — for money
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mate — a partner
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. swing — music
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mate — a friend
  22. swing — in golf
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. nail — for a hammer

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