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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. scale — size or range
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rock — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — magic
  12. pit — a hole
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rash — a series
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pit — in a race
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. spell — letters
  24. scale — in 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