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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fall — the season
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. kick — in football
  13. fall — to drop
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pitch — completely
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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