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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. branch — a division
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. row — a line
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cell — a phone

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