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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — help
  4. branch — a division
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bank — for money
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. degree — temperature
  16. file — a document
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. degree — from a university
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lean — thin

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