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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spell — letters
  8. roll — a list
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. tear — from crying
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. tear — to rip
  17. spell — magic
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — a cake
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. track — a song
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tear — from crying

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