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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · suit · cabinet · march · saw · branch · mouse · club

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. march — the month
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. branch — a division
  10. suit — to fit
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — in cards
  13. tear — to rip
  14. suit — clothes
  15. club — for dancing
  16. saw — the tool
  17. march — music
  18. club — for golf
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. club — a group

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