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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. squash — the sport
  14. scale — in music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — size or range
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. squash — to crush
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. branch — a division
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ruler — a monarch

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