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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — a division
  4. snap — to click
  5. craft — boats
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. craft — a skill
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. plane — a tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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