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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. field — a subject
  4. rest — what's left
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bass — low music
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. field — farmland
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. field — for sport
  17. branch — a division
  18. rest — a break
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rush — hurry
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ruler — for measuring

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