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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wound — an injury
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. content — happy
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. content — the amount
  23. branch — a division
  24. racket — for tennis

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