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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — a practice
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. drill — the tool
  14. degree — temperature
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bank — for money
  17. branch — a division
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bear — the animal
  24. drill — army training

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