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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. branch — a division
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mug — a face
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kick — in football
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kick — with a leg

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