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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. track — a song
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. rule — government
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rule — a law
  16. roll — a list
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. roll — a cake
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fine — all right
  24. track — a path

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