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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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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. clip — for paper
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. branch — a division
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. clip — a video
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. clip — to cut
  14. suit — in cards
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. deal — to handle
  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