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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. branch — a division
  6. bass — the fish
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bound — obliged
  12. chest — of your body
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bound — certain
  17. rest — a break
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chest — a box
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chest — of your body

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