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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. net — for catching
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. net — after costs
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fork — in a road
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. branch — a division
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wax — to grow
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. net — in sport
  24. wax — for sculpting

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