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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. pop — to visit
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lie — to recline
  6. spring — the season
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bank — for money
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — of ice
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spring — of water
  17. pop — soda
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rash — a series
  21. pop — music
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  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