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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tube — the underground
  4. track — to keep track
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. branch — a division
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ruler — for measuring

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