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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kid — child
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. branch — a division
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wound — an injury
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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