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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. suit — clothes
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. scale — in music
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. scale — size or range
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rash — a series
  19. mark — a trace
  20. branch — a division
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wake — a trail
  24. scale — for weighing

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