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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — a division
  6. hand — in cards
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. suit — clothes
  9. band — a ring
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. band — a music group
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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