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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spring — of water
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. spring — a coil
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. spring — the season
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. branch — a division
  14. wind — moving air
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cue — a signal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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