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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. rest — what's left
  9. branch — a division
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. current — electric
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. tube — a container
  19. current — of water
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rest — a break
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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