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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rock — a stone
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pit — in a race
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. chair — a leader
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  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