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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 120 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. plane — a tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. net — in sport
  6. race — humankind
  7. rule — a law
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. net — after costs
  18. race — a contest
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rule — government
  23. branch — a division
  24. net — for catching

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