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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. saw — the tool
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. club — a group
  17. shower — to wash
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — a price
  21. branch — a division
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. row — to paddle
  24. saw — the tool

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