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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 124 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rest — a break
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. last — final
  7. object — an aim
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. last — finally
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rest — what's left
  14. object — a thing
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. can — a tin
  21. last — to go on
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. branch — a division
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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