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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rest — what's left
  5. can — to be able to
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. can — a tin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wound — an injury
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — in music
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. branch — a division
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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