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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.

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: saw · mug · wind · kid · dip · branch · cabinet · field

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mug — to rob
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. field — for sport
  10. mug — a face
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. branch — a division
  13. field — a subject
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. dip — to sink
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mug — a cup
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. field — farmland
  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