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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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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: saw · kid · fine · can · branch · chest · mine · season

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. can — a tin
  4. kid — to tease
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. season — of the year
  11. kid — child
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. season — in sport
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fine — all right
  17. chest — a box
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. chest — of your body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. branch — a division
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — for digging

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