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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. band — a ring
  6. present — the time now
  7. cell — a phone
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. present — a gift
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. hand — help
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. present — there
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cell — in biology
  16. band — a music group
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. branch — a division
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. hand — in cards
  24. saw — the tool

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