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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — a song
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. scale — in music
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — to keep track
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — a division
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bear — the animal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. can — to be able to
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — a path
  24. cabinet — ministers

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