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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. capital — money
  3. suit — clothes
  4. branch — a division
  5. bound — obliged
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hand — help
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rest — what's left
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. capital — a city
  18. hand — in cards
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. suit — to fit
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rest — a break
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bound — certain

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