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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rest — what's left
  4. club — for golf
  5. roll — a cake
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rest — a break
  13. club — for dancing
  14. firm — a company
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. roll — a list
  18. rest — what's left
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. firm — decided
  21. wake — a trail
  22. foot — a measure
  23. club — a group
  24. firm — steady

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