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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.

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

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rest — a break
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pit — a hole
  19. branch — a division
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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