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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rest — what's left
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. hand — in cards
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fine — all right
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mate — a friend
  16. hand — help
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rest — a break
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. ruler — a monarch

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