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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. branch — a division
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — a break
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. drill — army training
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rest — what's left
  10. prune — to trim
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. track — a song
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rest — what's left
  17. track — a path
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. drill — a practice
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. row — a line

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