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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.

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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mark — a grade
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. last — finally
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rock — music
  10. file — a line of people
  11. branch — a division
  12. last — final
  13. club — for golf
  14. tear — from crying
  15. last — to go on
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. file — a document
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. file — a tool

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