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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. track — to keep track
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mug — to rob
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. track — a path
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. branch — a division
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. track — a song
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mug — a face
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — a cup

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