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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. march — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bore — to tire
  10. spell — magic
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. march — the month
  14. spell — letters
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. march — the month
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bore — to drill
  23. branch — a division
  24. bore — gave birth

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