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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. branch — a division
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wind — moving air
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. pit — a hole
  14. shower — rain
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. march — the month
  19. plane — a tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ruler — for measuring

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