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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. track — a path
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rock — a stone
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. branch — a division
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. kid — child
  15. land — a country
  16. rock — music
  17. snap — to click
  18. tube — a container
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. tube — the underground
  21. kid — to tease
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. land — to come down
  24. fan — a supporter

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