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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. field — farmland
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wound — an injury
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. net — for catching
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — for sport
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. net — after costs
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. net — in sport
  22. file — a tool
  23. field — a subject
  24. branch — of a tree

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