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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — a division
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. charge — in control
  17. last — to go on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rest — a break
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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