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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bound — certain
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bound — tied together
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. snap — to click
  12. branch — a division
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bound — obliged
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. deal — to handle
  24. branch — of a tree

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