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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ground — a position
  13. branch — a division
  14. board — a committee
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. board — to get on
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ground — the earth
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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