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

Word bank: rock · branch · content · wind · saw · cell · suit · cabinet

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wind — moving air
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. suit — in cards
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. content — happy
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. suit — to fit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. content — the amount
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rock — music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — a stone
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wind — moving air

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