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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mark — a trace
  6. present — a gift
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. branch — a division
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. present — there
  14. mark — a grade
  15. content — the amount
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. content — happy
  22. present — the time now
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mine — belonging to me

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