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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rest — a break
  3. bear — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. rest — what's left
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. spell — letters
  20. rest — what's left
  21. branch — a division
  22. bear — the animal
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. nail — on a finger

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