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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 116 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: pit · kid · ruler · wind · branch · nail · fall · pound

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wind — moving air
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kid — to tease
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fall — the season
  10. kid — child
  11. branch — a division
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wind — to turn a key

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