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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. suit — clothes
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. hand — help
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rule — a law
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. swing — in golf
  14. scale — in music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. scale — size or range
  17. suit — in cards
  18. hand — in cards
  19. swing — music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rest — a break
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. branch — a division

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