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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rest — a break
  3. tube — a container
  4. wound — an injury
  5. spell — magic
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. spell — letters
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — what's left
  19. spell — a short time
  20. degree — an amount
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. degree — from a university
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. degree — temperature

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