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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rule — a law
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. content — happy
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. content — the amount
  21. rule — government
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ruler — for measuring

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