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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rest — a break
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lean — to bend
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. staff — employees
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. staff — employees
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lean — thin
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. rash — a series
  22. bass — the fish
  23. branch — a division
  24. rest — what's left

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