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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — a division
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fork — in a road

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