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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  3. march — music
  4. stock — goods
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. march — the month
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spell — magic
  12. chest — a box
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. spell — letters
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stock — shares
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. coach — a trainer
  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