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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. tube — the underground
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. field — for sport
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. field — a subject
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rest — a break
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. present — a gift
  18. field — farmland
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. tube — a container
  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