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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chest — of your body
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chest — of your body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rest — a break
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rest — what's left
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — a match
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. branch — a division
  24. chest — a box

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