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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  3. present — there
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. snap — to click
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bound — certain
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. present — a gift
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. present — the time now
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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