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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lean — thin
  5. branch — a division
  6. file — a document
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. file — a tool
  9. lean — to bend
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. file — a line of people
  14. staff — employees
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. scale — in music
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. staff — a stick
  24. nail — on a finger

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