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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rock — music
  3. mine — for digging
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. branch — a division
  8. chair — a leader
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rock — a stone
  18. face — part of the head
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. spring — the season
  24. rush — to hurry

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