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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. band — a music group
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rest — a break
  6. branch — a division
  7. rest — what's left
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bat — the animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. suit — in cards
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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