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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. can — a tin
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. spring — the season
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spring — of water
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. march — the month
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. spring — a coil
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. branch — a division

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