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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. branch — a division
  4. last — to go on
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. last — final
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. chest — of your body
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. last — finally
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to click

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