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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. branch — a division
  9. bear — the animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. squash — to crush
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. net — for catching
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. band — a ring

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