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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cold — not warm
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cold — an illness
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rock — music
  23. ground — a position
  24. mark — a trace

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