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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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tear — from crying
  3. board — to get on
  4. rest — a break
  5. cap — of ice
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. last — final
  9. rest — what's left
  10. last — finally
  11. cap — a hat
  12. board — a committee
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — to go on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. tear — from crying
  17. branch — a division
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cap — a lid
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. tear — to rip
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ruler — for measuring

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