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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. land — a country
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. branch — a division
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. land — ground
  15. track — a path
  16. pit — a hole
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wake — a trail
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pit — in a race

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