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

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rest — a break
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pound — to hit hard

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