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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. charge — a price
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. swing — to play on
  6. branch — a division
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. spring — of water
  10. toast — bread
  11. spring — a coil
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. charge — electricity
  14. spring — the season
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hand — help
  18. charge — in control
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. swing — in golf
  23. hand — in cards
  24. swing — music

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