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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. tear — to rip
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ball — a great time
  11. tear — from crying
  12. file — a tool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stock — shares
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ball — a dance
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stock — goods
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. branch — a division

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