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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. branch — a division
  5. spell — magic
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — to keep track
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mine — for digging
  16. track — a song
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. track — a path

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