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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. firm — steady
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spell — magic
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rest — a break
  8. last — final
  9. firm — decided
  10. branch — a division
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. spell — letters
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chip — for betting
  17. last — to go on
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. last — finally
  22. spell — a short time
  23. firm — a company
  24. ruler — for measuring

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