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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. drill — the tool
  4. foot — a measure
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mug — a cup
  11. branch — a division
  12. mug — a face
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. last — to go on
  18. shower — rain
  19. drill — army training
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mug — to rob

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