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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. saw — the tool
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. scale — in music
  14. branch — a division
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. field — a subject
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. scale — size or range

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