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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. kid — to tease
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ground — the earth
  5. spring — of water
  6. bank — for money
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bank — for money
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. branch — a division
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spring — the season
  16. ground — a position
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bank — of a river
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — a coil
  24. kid — child

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