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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. snap — to click
  5. fork — in a road
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. capital — money
  13. pass — a permit
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. capital — a city
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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