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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 124 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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lean — thin
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. spell — magic
  15. lean — to bend
  16. can — to be able to
  17. spell — letters
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. date — the fruit
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. branch — a division
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. spell — a short time
  24. toast — bread

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