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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mug — a face
  10. cap — a hat
  11. object — to protest
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. branch — a division
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cap — a lid
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mug — a cup
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. kick — in football

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