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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.

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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. drill — a practice
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. shower — rain
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. drill — army training
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — a division
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. track — a path
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. drill — the tool
  23. shower — to wash
  24. leaves — lets stay

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