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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cap — of ice
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. cap — a lid
  9. net — for catching
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rash — a series
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. net — after costs
  16. track — to keep track
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — in sport
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. rash — hasty

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