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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — a division
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ground — a position
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rock — music
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pop — soda
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pop — music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. arm — part of the body

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