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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — of the year
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. present — a gift
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rash — a series
  15. season — in sport
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. present — there
  19. branch — a division
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. present — the time now
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — hasty

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