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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. branch — a division
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. ground — a position
  20. bass — low music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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