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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. squash — to crush
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mate — a partner
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. field — a subject
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mate — to breed
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mate — a friend

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