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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ball — a great time
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. branch — a division
  16. bass — low music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. roll — a list
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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