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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. file — a tool
  5. chest — a box
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kick — in football
  8. wake — a trail
  9. file — a document
  10. chest — of your body
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. file — a line of people
  15. branch — a division
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. capital — money
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. capital — a city
  24. racket — a loud noise

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