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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wound — an injury
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. branch — a division
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bound — obliged
  16. shower — to wash
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. shower — rain

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