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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. shower — rain
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. clip — to cut
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. clip — for paper
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bound — certain
  14. saw — the tool
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. branch — a division
  22. clip — a video
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bound — obliged

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