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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spell — magic
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. current — happening now
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. band — a music group
  18. spell — a short time
  19. band — a ring
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tube — a container

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