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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. craft — boats
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hand — help
  6. kid — to tease
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. swing — music
  10. band — a music group
  11. kid — child
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. swing — in golf
  14. craft — a skill
  15. swing — to play on
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hand — in cards
  24. band — a ring

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