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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. last — finally
  2. branch — a division
  3. last — to go on
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. last — final
  12. lean — to bend
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  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