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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tear — from crying
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. key — in music
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. scale — size or range
  9. capital — money
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. key — the most important part
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rest — what's left
  18. scale — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rest — a break

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