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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · branch · mine · object · pass · dip · season · kid

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. object — an aim
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. object — to protest
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. branch — a division
  13. season — in sport
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. object — a thing
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. season — of the year
  24. mine — belonging to me

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