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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · sharp · cabinet · fan · last · rest · rock · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. fan — a supporter
  3. last — finally
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. last — final
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. last — to go on
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rock — to move gently
  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