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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 120 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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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: mouse · nail · rush · lie · wound · chair · branch · pitch

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rush — hurry
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. branch — a division
  23. lie — to recline
  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