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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. foot — a measure
  3. present — there
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. spell — magic
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. present — a gift
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. present — the time now
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rest — a break
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — in music
  22. branch — a division
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pitcher — a jug

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