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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. file — a document
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. branch — a division
  11. rest — a break
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. file — a tool

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