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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. object — an aim
  3. saw — the tool
  4. object — to protest
  5. rule — government
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. shower — rain
  11. rule — a law
  12. wind — moving air
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. branch — a division
  17. track — to keep track
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. object — a thing
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. shower — to wash
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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