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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. branch — a division
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. spring — the season
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. spring — of water
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. lie — to recline
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. scale — in music
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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