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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — a division
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spell — magic
  7. track — a path
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. spell — letters
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pit — a hole
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. spell — a short time
  14. sharp — clever
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. track — a song
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pit — in a race

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