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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ground — crushed
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. branch — a division
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lean — thin
  12. bound — certain
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wind — moving air
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. ground — a position
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. saw — the tool

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