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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mug — a face
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. branch — a division
  18. chair — a leader
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — to rob
  24. scale — size or range

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