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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 bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. land — a country
  7. pop — soda
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lie — to recline

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