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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chest — of your body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chest — a box
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spell — magic
  12. drill — a practice
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. spell — letters
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. snap — to click
  17. drill — army training
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rock — music
  21. drill — the tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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