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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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 bank
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. tube — the underground
  6. branch — a division
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rule — government
  14. race — humankind
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. race — a contest
  20. rule — a law
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. ruler — a monarch

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