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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spring — of water
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wound — an injury
  6. present — the time now
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. present — there
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bank — for money
  11. present — a gift
  12. cold — an illness
  13. charge — a price
  14. bank — of a river
  15. spring — the season
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cold — not warm
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. charge — in control

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