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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 124 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. branch — a division
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stock — shares
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. stock — goods
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. band — a ring
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bear — the animal
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. band — a music group
  24. bear — the animal

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