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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bark — to shout
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bank — for money
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. hand — help
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bank — of a river
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. branch — a division
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — for money
  24. bark — 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